2003 Pollution Prevention Environmental Excellence Awards

Sigma-Aldrich Corporation is a manufacturer and distributor of biochemical and organic chemical products. The company's pollution prevention program has several significant successes.

In 2002, a total of 1.7 million gallons of bulk spent flammable solvent was generated at one facility. Of that amount, 100% was reused in another industrial application as a substitute where otherwise virgin material would have been used. This not only minimized pollution directly from operations, but also resulted in source reduction at the third-party industrial facilities that reused the spent material.

In preparation for demolition of an old warehouse, the following materials were recycled instead of disposed:

Approximately 100 tons of computer equipment was sent to an electronics recycling facility;

Approximately 80 tons of paper goods were sent for recycling;

Approximately 3 truckloads of scientific instrumentation/analytical equipment were distributed to interested Sigma-Aldrich personnel;

Two pallets of new scientific reference books were distributed to interested Sigma-Aldrich personnel;

Approximately 200 liters of antifreeze were sent to a production area that uses it for cooling during processing; and

Approximately 12,000 pounds of Kodak film weresent for silver recovery.

In addition, Sigma-Aldrich has actively recycled steel drums for scrap; provides used fiber containers, previously landfilled, to a company for reuse; replaces spent fluorescent bulbs with low mercury bulbs; and uses an electronic material tracking system to list unwanted materials from production support departments and to locate departments or other industrial companies to reuse that material.

Target Corp has 66 Stores in Region 7 which are involved in the company mandated program of waste reduction and pollution prevention. Target has implemented innovations such as a national program of waste reduction; a program to virtually eliminate excess packaging on clothing lines and to work with other vendors to minimize packaging; using recycled content paper for its printing operations; offering products made from recycled content; and conducting annual self-assessments of environmental operations and publishing the results.

These Target salvage program keeps returned/damaged merchandise and excess new clearance merchandise out of landfills by selling it to local Goodwills and other non-profits at a greatly reduced rate. This year the salvage program has diverted 61.4 million pounds of merchandise from the waste stream.

A company-wide program of food donation has been undertaken to reduce food waste and donate this food to people in need. This year Target donated 468.000 pounds of food through Second Harvest, diverting it from the waste stream.

Through these waste reduction and pollution prevention programs, Target stores in Iowa, Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska recycle a large quantity of waste materials. In 2002, a total of 66 stores in our Region, recycled 31.6 million lbs or 15,303 tons of waste materials.

Johnson Controls and Jackson County, MOWorking Smarter on Energy Efficiency

Jackson County's strategic goal of environmental stewardship led to a partnership with Johnson Controls, which includes a unique combination of performance and service contracts.

Johnson Controls Metasys program is the world's leading building automation system. The Metasys building automation system uses industry-leading technology to provide information that helps manage buildings more efficiently. Metasys helps decrease maintenance and utility costs while increasing productivity and streamlining operations.

The partnership involved the design and installation of energy-efficient building improvements including: steam system retrofits; lighting and plumbing upgrades; indoor air quality sensors and a facility management system. This project is on track to meet a savings of $7.6 million in energy and operational costs over the life of the 15 year contract. The annual energy savings of $429,000 was enough to pay the initial costs of improvements, making it cost neutral. During the first year there will be a 4.5 million pound reduction in greenhouse gasses, 10,200 pounds reduction in sulfur dioxide and 28.1 mg reduction in mercury.

Jackson County's partnership with Johnson Controls is a great example of how public and private partnerships can work to benefit the citizens, reduce pollution, conserve resources and improve quality of life.

Rockwell Collins is a global company providing aviation electronics for aircraft manufacturers and more than 400 airline customers, as well as the world's military forces. Rockwell Collins is committed to responsible environmental management and has established environmental goals to prevent pollution in the communities of operation. Through continuous improvement programs, the company strives to exceed environmental regulatory requirements, enhance environmental management processes, and establish voluntary environmental programs at facilities worldwide.

The REACT Center accepts excessed computers from Rockwell Collins and other area businesses. Volunteers then refurbish the machines and build them according to specifications requested by area schools and non-profit agencies. In 2002, 2,718 desk and laptop computers and 169 printers were donated to 251 Iowa schools and non-profit organizations, preventing 132 tons of computer-related waste from entering local landfills.

Since the program's inception in 1998, more than 13,744 desktop and laptop computers, 845 printers, and 1,116 office related equipment items have been diverted from landfills and put into the hands of school children for technology needs. In 2003, the program is being expanded to recycle computers from company locations across the U.S.

Rockwell Collins, Inc., Cedar Rapids, IAWaste Avoidance Program

The waste avoidance program at Rockwell Collins uses innovative approaches to continue more than a decade of progress. These approaches include:

Packaging reuse by way of package returns;

Eliminating adhesives and tapes from packaging;

Donation of excess foams, peanuts and bubble wraps to businesses in the community;

Recovery of wooden crates and pallets by a company for metal casting shipments;

Donation of excess office furniture and equipment to schools and non-profits; and

Refurbishing excess computers and peripherals for donation to schools and non-profits.

Rockwell Collins' aggressive landfill reduction approaches have dramatically decreased landfill usage. In the ten years from 1992 to 2002, the company has decreased landfill usage from 118 tons solid waste per $100 million in sales, to 59.6 tons solid waste per $100 million in sales.

3M Company, Springfield, MOCleaning Solvent Reduction Projects

Pollution Prevention has been part of the 3M culture since 1975. 3M innovation encourages new ideas in both products and environmental responsibility, and is the basis for the 3M Pollution Prevention Pays (3P) program. 3P is based on the premise that pollution prevention pays through environmental benefit, lower disposal/treatment costs, operating savings and improved quality.

3M Industrial Adhesives and Tapes Division in Springfield, MO has a long history of innovation that has benefitted the environment. During the past 23 years, the facility's air emissions have been reduced by 230 tons and waste generation has been cut by more than 3,400 tons.

3M Springfield has two pollution prevention projects of special recognition. Both involved process improvements to greatly reduce volatile organic compound (VOC) usage during mixer cleaning. Improving and standardizing solvent cleaning procedures across the facility significantly reduced the purchase of raw materials and associated waste materials that required disposal. These projects provided the following environmental benefits:

Eliminated 150 tons of VOC- containing cleaning solvent;

Reduced 960 55-gallon drums of waste that would have been incinerated;

Reduction of 10 semi-trucks of raw materials; and,

Removed 22 semi-trucks from the highway and eliminated the associated vehicle emissions.

The economic benefits of these programs included a cost savings from improved manufacturing efficiency of $64,000 while waste disposal costs were reduced by $35,000. This demonstrates that pollution prevention does pay.